Pressing or lifting device



March 16 192s. 1,576,494

' F. ACKERMAN PRBSSING 0R LIP-TING DEVICE Filed Feb. 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N vs/vroz Fran k ficagr' Evan.

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Patented Mar. 16', 1926. 7

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FRANK AOKERMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 'lO O'O'RTIS 6&- COMPANY MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF WELLSTON, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI;

PRESSING OR LIF'IING DEVICE.

Application filed February 18, 1924. Serial No. 693,617.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK AGK RMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pressing or Lifting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to lifting devices and pressing devices of the kind that comprise a plurality of spaced members which are adapted to rest upon a supporting surface during the operation of lifting or raising an object or arranged in engage ment with a surface or object that is to be pressed, compressed or tamped, my invention being applicable to devices of the kind that are commonly termed jacks or devices of the kind commonly termed presses.

The main object of my invention is to provide, a lifting device or pressing device of the general type mentioned in which the spaced members of the device are so constructed and arranged that they will beaevenly on or will exert uniform pressure on the surface or object whichjthey engage, even though said surface or object is uneven, or composed of high and low points that cause said spaced members to be disposed at;

different levels or elevations. I

Another object is to provide a lifting or pressing device of novel construction that is equipped with a plurality of spaced members that are adapted to be moved into engagement with a surface, and an operating means for said members constructed in such a way that said members will automatically adjust themselves to said surface, even though said surface is rough and uneven.

And still another object is to provide a lifting or pressing device in which the spaced members that support the device or engage the part to be moved in the case'of a lifting device, orthe members which exert pressure on the surface to be pressedor tamped in the case of a pressing devise, are combined with an operating mechanism, which is constructedin such a manner that it can be actuated first to move said members into engagement with an uneven sursaid shaft is moved endwise.

face and thereafter actuated to impart movement to an element of the device which moves relatively to said members after said members have been engaged with said surface. p

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a lifting jack, but as previously stated, my invention is equally applicable to a press or tamping device.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front elevational view of my improved device, part y broken away so as to more clearly illustrate the construction of same.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of said device; and p V Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the spaced members of the device arranged in engagement with an uneven surface.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invent-ion. A designates the vertically-movable element of a lifting jack, B designates a plurality of supporting members arranged in spacedrelation, C designates gears or pinions rotate ably mounted in the element A and arranged in mesh with vertically-disposed racks D to which the supporting members B are connected and E designates a horizontally-disposed operating shaft provided with a right hand worm 1 that meshes with one of the pinions C and provided with a left hand worm 2 that meshes with the other pinion G. The racks D to which the supporting members B are connected slide vertically in guideways in theelement A, and the operating shaft E is arranged horizontally on the element A'in such a way that said shaft and the worms 1 and 2 thereon can be moved bodily in a direction longitudinally of said shaft. o

In the form of my invention herein illus trated the element A is provided with two housings 1 and 2* for the worms 1 and 2 that are arranged in longitudinal alignment with each other, but spaced far enough apart tonot interfere with the movement of a handwheel F on the operating shaft E when Said housings 1- and 2 serve as bearings for the worms 1 and 2, and each housing is provided at its outer end with an end plate 3 through which the operating shaft E extends. In order to facilitate lubrication of the worms 1 and Q, and the rack and pinions with which they co-operate, the housings on the element A in which said worms are mounted are provided with openings through which a lubri eating medium can be introduced into said housing, each of said openings being normally closed by a plug or other suitable closure 4. The worms 1 and 2 are rigidly connected to the operating shaft E, and the hand wheel F which is also rigidly connected to said operating shaft is arranged at the center of same so that when said hand wheel is positioned mid-way between the worm housings 1 and 2 the worms 1 and 2 will be positioned directly underneath the spur dles or axles on which the pinions C turn.

lVhen the surface a; on which the supporting members B of the jack rest is flat and regular, as shown in Figure 1, the operatmg shaft E will occupy such a position with relation to the pinions C that both of the supporting members B will be maintained at the same level or elevation. Accordingly, when the jack is supported on a flat or level surface, rotary movement of the operating shaft E in one direction causes the pinions C to turn in unison and travel upwardly at the same speed on the racks D thereby imparting upward movement to the element A and the object under which said element is positioned. As soon as the rotary movement of the operating shaft E ceases, the element A will come to rest and remain in its elevated position, due to the fact that the worms 1 and 2 lock the pinions O and prevent them from revolving in a direction to cause them to travel downwardly on the racks D. hen the operating shaft is turned in the reverse direction the pinions C travel downwardly at thesame speed on the racks D, thus causing the element A to be lowered or moved downwardly.

If the surface on which the jack is to be supported is rough or uneven or composed of high and low points a? and 00 as shown in Figure 3, the rotary movement of the operating shaft E effects a change in the elevation of the supporting members B, thus causing one of said members to rest upon the high point as of said surface and the other supporting member B to rest upon the low point :22 of said surface, and also causes the pinions C to travel upwardly at the same speed on the racks D. This change in the elevation of the supporting members B is accomplished, by endwise movement of the operating shaft E from the position shown in Figure 1 into the position shown in Figure 3, which endwise movement of the shaft E causes the pinions C to revolve in the same direction, whereupon the rack D that is associated with the worm 1 will be moved upwardly by its co-operating pinion C and the rack D that is associated with the worm 2 will be moved downwardly by its co-operating pinion C. To state it in another way, endwise movement of the operating shaft E to the left, looking at Figures 1 and 3, causes the worms 1 and 2 to act as racks which revolve the pinions C in clockwise direction, thereby causing the supporting members B to move in opposite directions, but for the same distance and at the same speed. Assuming that the sup porting members B are arranged at the same elevation at the time the left hand supporting member B is arranged in engagement with the high point r of the surface on which the jack is to be supported, the operator shifts the hand wheel F to the left without rotating the operating shaft E, which endwise movement of the operating shaft causes the element A to move down wardly and also causes the right hand supporting member B to move downwardly until it strikes the low point x of the surface on which the jack is to be supported. lVhen both of the members B engage the supporting surface the load which the jack sustains will be distributed evenly on the two spaced supporting members B of the jack, and thereafter the hand wheel F can be turned in a direction to rotate the shaft E and cause the pinions C to travel upwardly on the racks B, whereupon the object supported by the jack will be raised, or turned in the opposite direction so as to rotate the shaft E in a direction to cause the pinions C to travel downwardly on the racks D. While I have described the preliminary positioning of the members B on the supporting surface as being effected manually by moving the operating shaft E endwise, it will be obvious that the members B will automatically adjust themselves to an uneven surface, because a downward load imposed on the element A after one of the members B has engaged the surface on which the acl: is to be supported tends to move the element A downwardly, whereupon the pinion C that is associated with the supporting member B which is then in engagement with the surface will act as a driving member to shift the operating shaft E endwise, and thus cause the pinion that is associated with the other supporting member B to revolve in a direction to force said member downwardly into engagen'ient with the surface.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in my improved jack the spaced members that contact with the surface on which the jack is supported are not only capable of being arranged at different elements, thus insuring an even bearing for the jack, but they are combined with an operating mechanism that causes said members to automatically adjust themselves to the surface lSU on which the jack is supported in such a way that when the operating means is manipulated to ralse or lower the vertically movable element of the jack, the load imposed on the jack will be distributed equally and uniformly over the supporting surface. Likewise, in a press constructed in accordance with my invention the spaced members that act on the surface to be compressed or tamped can move or be moved relatively to each other in such a way that both or all of said members will exert a uniform pres sure on said surface, notwithstanding the fact that said surface is uneven or composed of high and low points with which said members contact.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a plurality of space-d members that are adapted to contact with a surface, an element in which said members are reciprocatingly mounted, pinions rotatably mounted on said element and arranged in mesh with racks on said members, and an operating mechanism comprising worms in mesh with said pinions that are adapted to be moved endwise to cause said members to engage said surface and thereafter rotated to bodily shift said element relatively to said members.

2. In a device of the kind described, an element, a plurality of spaced members that are adapted to contact with a surface, racks connected to said members and reciprocatingly mounted in guideways in said element, pinions on said element that mesh with said racks, and an operating means for said pinions comprising worms that are adapted to be moved endwise to cause. said racks to move in opposite directions to position said members on an uneven surface and thereafter rotated to cause said pinions to travel over said racks in unison.

3. In a device of the kind described, an element, a plurality of spaced members adapted to contact with a surface, reciprocating racks in said element to which said members are connected, pinions on said element in mesh with said racks, and an operating mechanism for said pinions capable of being actuated to cause said pinions to turn in the same direction to position said members in engagement with said surface and to thereafter revolve in opposite directions to cause said members to exert uni form pressure on said surface.

4. In a device of the kind described, an element, a plurality of members that are adapted to contact with a surface, reciprocating parts in said element. to which said members are connected, and an operating mechanism co-operating with said reciprocating parts and constructed in such a way that it is capable of locking said parts so as to prevent them from moving relatively to said element and is capable of being actuated first to move said parts in' opposite directions and to thereafter cause relative longitudinal movement of said element and parts.

5. A device of the kind described, comprising an element, a plurality of spaced members that are adapted to contact with a surface, reciprocating racks in said element to which said members are connected, rotatable pinions on said element that mesh with said racks, and an operating shaft mounted on said element at right angles to said racks and provided with a right hand worm that meshes with one of said pinions and a left hand worm that meshes with the other pinion, said operating shaft being adapted to move endwise so that said worms will function as racks to rotate said pinions in the same direction.

6. In a device of the kind described, an element, reciprocating racks in said element arranged in parallel relation and provided with spaced members that are adapted to contact with a surface, rotatable pinions in said element that mesh with said racks, and an operating mechanismconstructed to cause said pinions to revolve in the same direction to move said racks in opposite directions during the operation of positioning said members in engagement with said surface and to thereafter revolve in opposite directions to move said racks simultaneously in the same direction to cause said element to move longitudinally with relation to said racks.

7 In a device of the kind described, an element, a plurality of reciprocating racks arranged in said element in parallel relation and equipped with spaced members that are adapted to contact with a surface, pinions on said element arranged in mesh with said racks, and a rotatable operating shaft mounted on said element in sucha way that it can be moved endwise and provided with means for causing said pinions to revolve in the same direction when said shaft is moved endwise and to revolve in opposite directions when said shaft is rotated.

8. In a device of the kind describe-d, an element, reciprocating racks in said element arranged in parallel relation and provided with members that are adapted to contact with a surface, pinions on said element arranged in mesh with said racks, a rotatable operating shaft arranged at right angles to said racks and mounted in such a way that it can be moved endwise, right and left hand worms on said operating shaft that mesh with said pinions, and bearings on said element in which said worms turn. 7

9;. A. lifting jack, comprising a verticallymovable element, vertically-disposed reciprocating racks arranged in said element in parallel relation that serve as supports for said element, pinions in said element that mesh with said racks, two hearings on said element, a right hand Worm in one of said bearings that meshes with one pinion and a left hand Worm in the other bearing that meshes with the other pinion, and an operating shaft connected to said racks and adapted to he moved endwise during the operationof adjusting the jack to the supporting surface on Which it is arranged and thereafter rotated to cause said pinions to travel longitudinally of said racks so as to move said element vertically.

FRANK ACKERMAN. 

